dabodin

We're going to France in mid-September for 3 weeks, starting off with a week in a Paris apartment and at the end, a week on a self-drive barge in Burgandy. In between, we're taking the train to Caen to visit friends for 2 nights who will take us all around Normandy to the beaches and museums, etc.

On a Tuesday morning, we'll pick up a rental car. We'd like to see Mont St. Michel and maybe stay in Dinan before driving on to Auxerre near where we start the barge trip. We have to be in Auxerre by that Friday night to drop off the rental car.

If it were you, how would you divide these 4 days of driving so that the drive each day is fairly uniform and so that you could stay in interesting places each night? The Loire valley is beckoning to me but I'm not sure where to stop or which chateau to visit.

By the way, DH is more interested in historical sites than he is in traipsing through fancy interiors, but I think he would go to one chateau if I ask nicely. Also, we'll probably go to lots of wineries in Burgandy so that won't be a priority on this leg of the trip. But perhaps the drive is so long that we won't even have time to do much sightseeing along the way? Having never been in this part of France, I don't have a feel for what the roads will be like and how long it will even take. Any suggested itineraries and practical advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

adeben

The drive from Dinan to Auxerre is 525k, which, if you were to go by autoroute, would cost you 32 euros in tolls, and would take less then 5 hours. With four days at your disposal, your driving each day will be less than 200k, and that's if you take a very circuitous route. You could consider the following places: From Dinan vist Rennes, then overnight at Angers, followed the next day by a Loire Valley tour, visiting the chateaux at Villandry, Chenonceaux and Chambord before overnighting at Blois. From Blois, visit Bourges to see a pleasant city and one of the great cathedrals in France. Then on to stay overnight at, and explore, Nevers. On the last day, visit, in turn, La Charite, Vezelay, and Fontenay Abbey near Montbard which is about 80k from Auxerre. All the roads are excellent, and all are free! Each day has very little driving associated with it. After all, as stated above, the distance from Dinan to Auxerre is not great.

Michael

You might be interested in the last part of my trip report and these Loire pictures:

http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...BBE1&cb=PW

Brittany Photos:
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...BBAB&cb=PW

Trip report: Ghent, Bruges, Normandy, Brittany:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34444403

dabodin

Adeben: Thank you for the distance breakdown. It now sounds more than do-able. And all your suggestions sound great.

And Michael, I will check out your pictures and trip report.

Michael

What I sent is meant as seconding adeben's suggestion.